The present invention relates to methods and structures for disrupting targets using a gas powered (pressurized) fluid gun.
In order to disrupt improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or rioting individuals, breach doors or structures, and arrest the movement of unauthorized vehicles, it would be desirable to have a stand off device that could be carried via backpack, carried by vehicle (e.g., car, truck, aircraft, or trailer), or emplaced at a critical locations (e.g., an embassy) to accomplish such tasks. While this has been accomplished with solid projectile firing guns (e.g., firing bean bag rounds or rubber bullets), water cannons (fire trucks), and nets, there are serious limitations to each of these technologies.
Relevant prior art inventions that use pressurized air to propel water from a storage container include a fire extinguisher (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,700 to Phalen), and toy water guns (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,987 to D'Andrade; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,162 to Johnson et al.). None of these patents teach structures or methods for mitigating or eliminating momentum-induced recoil forces.